This competitive renewal proposes to continue its strong track record of training future leaders of academic dermatology. Of the 21 trainees supported for one or more years by this T32 program during the past ten years and who have completed their subspecialty and/or research training, 12 subsequently received full- time appointments to academic department, with major basic and/or clinical research commitments for 10 of them. Our emphasis on the development of the research skills of MD and MD/PhD dermatologists will be maintained; although PhD candidates judged likely to make substantive contributions to investigative dermatology will be considered for unfilled positions. Our department provides an environment conducive to training research dermatologists: thirteen of the 28 full-time primary Dermatology faculties are actively engaged in basic and/or clinical research, spending more than 50% effort on such research activities; eight are identified as potential preceptors in this renewal application. Our dermatology-based research faculty interacts extensively with investigators from other departments at Yale, including 16 internationally recognized researchers designated as potential preceptors for this training program. Because we consider it most conducive to the trainees' development of intellectual independence and to the introduction of new scientific skills into the dermatology community, substantial exposure to outstanding basic scientists outside of our department will continue to be mandatory. As during the past two funding periods, each trainee will have two advisors, one inside and one outside the Dermatology Department. In the usual circumstance in which the principal laboratory experience is outside the department, under the mentorship of one of the designated non-dermatologist basic scientists or another equivalent individual, the Dermatology faculty advisor will monitor progress of the trainee and certify that the training program is relevant to the trainee's future in the specialty. Training opportunities will continue to be available throughout a broad range of research arenas relevant to cutaneous biology.